Method and apparatus for opening bags



s. c. BARON 3,325,962

l 3 Sheets-Sheeif 1 aol, nu l d i@ L A ,i /V

M M AU. wm m1 5 F M/.wlwl /5 I, 1 l. 1. W, .er h f ,..Mll E@ npr. A7V Ar l "wn z In Il.. :....m 5 J ,lvl G /mu J /S June 20, 1967 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR opENING BAGS Filed June 24, 1964 INVENTOR. 'ialzieg/ (I ai'wz June 20, 1967 s. c. BARoN 3,325,962

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING BAGS Filed June 24, 1964 3 Sheetsheet 2 June 20, 1967 s. C. BARON 3,325,962

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING BAGS Filed June 24, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,325,962 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING BAGS Stanley C. Baron, P.0. Box 97, Westport, Conn. 06880 Filed .lune 24, 1964, Ser. No. 377,684 2i Claims. (Cl. 53-29) This invention relates to method and apparatus for opening bags, which have been collapsed by means of a pair of oppositely ldisposed reentry folds, which are also known in the bag industry as gussets. The bags may be opened for various reasons. While open any of a variety of articles may be inserted, but the insertion of cards bearing advertising material is particularly contemplated. In this way at least some of the bags comprising bundles of bags purchased by users such as supermarkets, for example, would have already in them printed material addressed to housewives and other shoppers. Since some purchasers require several bags to hold their purchases it may be desirable to insert a selected piece of advertising material in only one out of three or four bags, in which event it may be desirable to insert advertising relating to other products in some or all of the other bags.

Means for feeding cards and other articles do not comprise any part of this invention. The method and apparatus of this invention are intended to be used in connection with such means and the moving bag may be employed to trigger ejecting mechanism of known kind.

Bags of the kind which are folded at by means of reentry folds `or gussets are conventionally made with a thumb cut in the margin of the bag. This is a shallow cutout which is provided in one of the opposed, substantially parallel wall portions of the folded bag, and its purpose is to allow a persons thumb, or other means, to pass freely by the front or leading wall portion of the bag and to contact, or be contacted by, the rear or trailing wall portion of the bag. Contact of a trigger switch finger with the rear or trailing wall portion of la bag is one of the means contemplated herein for actuating .the ejectng means to eject a paper, card, or the like, having advertisling thereon, into the mouth vof a bag opened sufficiently to receive it.

An obj-ect of the invention is to provide means by which each bag of a column of bags of the above mentioned kind may be successively opened sufficiently to receive a desired insert, and then collapsed.

Another object of invention is to open the folded bags, while they are moving in a column from a supply point to a point where they are collected into bundles, to receive selected advertising material in a selected number of the bags which are to comprise a bundle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a series of steps between the manufacture of folded bags and the supply of bundles of bags to retail stores, including supermarkets, by which the bags when purchased by a store will have already in them advertising matter relat- .ing to one or more products sold by the store and delivered by it to its customers in such bags.

The invention will best be understood by reading the following description in connection with the drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation,

ice

FIGURE 3 is a view on an enlarged scale looking from the rear toward the front of the apparatus, on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, partly in cross section,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation taken on Ithe line 4 4 of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a detail top plan view showing an initial step of the unfolding of the mouth of a folded bag, and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation showing another embodiment of the invention in which helix member 28 is eliminated and the bags are fed directly from a bag making machine to helix member 42, and to, and between successive turns of the threads of the Opposed pair of helix members 38 and `4G.

In accordance with the method disclosed herein, collapsed bags, folded flat by reentry folds F, are received in a column and moved forward from the source of supply, which may be a hopper, or the discharge end of a bag making machine, to a discharge point where the bags may be removed manually or mechanically and preferably are bundled for convenience in shipping to a purchaser such as a supermarket or other retail store. Between the point of supply and the point of discharge the column of bags is passed, first by means -for momentarily opening the reentry folds yadjacent the tops of the bags thereby partially opening the mouths of the bags, and then while the mouths of the vbags are open, they are passed under apparatus which may be of known kind and from which cards or other articles are injected into the bags, after which the bags are again collapsed. The opening of the mouths of the bags and the injecting of advertising cards or other articles or material is accomplished without stopping the movement of the column of bags, the forward progress of which is continuous from the point of supply to the point of discharge.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1-5, the apparatus comprises a frame having the three horizontal members 10, 12 and 14, the vertical legs 16 and 18 which extend from the central horizontal member 10 to the floor, and the vertical spacing members or legs 20 and 22 which extend from member 10 to member 12, the members 20 rising from the member 10 intermediate its ends, and the members 22 being upward extensions of members 18.

The member 10 provides the surface along which .the folded bags are moved after being received from the inclined hopper 23 and it -is cut away at 24 to provide a space for a horizontally extending helix member 42 which is supported within the space 24 by means of pillow blocks 25.

Projecting inwardly from one of the vertical frame members or legs 20 is a bracket 26. A helix member 28 is supported for rotation between bracket 26 and bracket 27, which is supported on member 29 projecting up from surface 16. Member 28 comprises the hub 30 and the helical thread 32 which projects radially from hub 30.

Depending from the horizontal frame member 12 are pairs of bracket members 34a and 34b, and between each pair an inverted U-shaped member 36 is pivotally mounted for swinging movement. Helix members 3-8 and 40 are supporte-d for rotation between the depending arms of members 36, respectively, on opposite sides of the path of the folded bags, with their axes parallel to each other and to the axis of the helix member 28.`

After being discharged from the hopper 24 the bags are engaged and moved forwardly rst by helix member 28, and then by and between the helix members 38 and 40 which coact with each other and with the bottom helix member 42 to advance the bags.

The helix members 38 and 40 each comprise two sets of helical threads 46 and 48, the forward turns of thread 48 being disposed between the rear turns of thread 46, this combination of threads serving to transfer pressure from the rear surface of the folded bags to the forward portion of the reentry folds F.

The horizontal frame member 12 is cut away directly above the tops of the bags as they are being advanced by the helix members to provide an opening or slot 50 through which inserts 51-cards or other articles--may be injected into the partially opened mouths of the bags. Since such ejection mechanism is Well known and per se forms no -part of this invention, it is not described lherein but such a device is indicated positioned on frame member 12 above slot 50 and is identified by numeral 52. For coaction of the ejecting means 52 with the apparatus disclosed herein for opening the mouths of bags a micro switch 56y for actuating the ejection mechanism is shown supported on the under surface of frame member 12, along the lateral margin of slot 50, with its thin elongated trigger arm 58 extending into the path of the upper end of the bags.

The folded bags processed in accordance with this invention are advanced with cut-outs 60 in the leading face. Accordingly the leading faces of the bags do not contact the trigger arm 58 which passes through the cut-outs 60, but the trailing faces of the bags do contact the trigger arm and this contact serves to momentarily retard the forward motion of the rear portion of each bag successively, while the forward portion of the bag is being advanced by pressure exerted by the helical threads 48.

The card ejecting means can be triggered, in timed relation to the opening of the bag mouths, in various other ways, as for example by an electric eye. If used, the trigger coacts with theother means employed for opening the mouths of the bags.

In FIG-URE 3 tubular members 62a and 62b are shown disposed on opposite sides of the path of the bags and jets of gas may be directed from said members against the opposite lateral edges of a bag to enter into the reentry folds F and initiate unfolding these folds and therebyV facilitate entry into the folds of the helical threads 48 of helix members 38 and 40 which have a wedging action within the folds as well as advancing the bags by pressure exerted on the leading portions of the folds F. As best seen in FIGURE the threads 48 preferably are slightly concave in cross section thus increasing their wedging action which is incident to the lead of the threads.

If desired a tubular member 63 may be disposed above the mouths of the moving column of bags and a jet of gas may be directed by'it against the tops of the bags successively to coact with the means described above for opening the mouths of the bags.

In the rst embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGURES 1-5, bags are fed on to the top surface of support member from hopper 23 in upright folded condition. Asa bag reaches the lower end of the inclined |hop.- per it is contacted on its leading surface by the friction wheels 80, mounted for rotation on pin 82 which at its lower end carries a worm wheel 84 which meshes with the worm 85 on shaft 69.Wheels 80 are rotated from motor 66 as shown in FIGURE 3. When the leading folded bag comes into contact with wheel means 80 it is moved laterally across the surface of the frame member 10, into a space between successive turns of the thread 32 of the helix 28. It will be noted that each wheel 80 has a at peripheral portion f, which provides a non- -operating moment during each rotation of the wheels which are thus operative intermittently to direct successive bags between successive turns of helix thread 32. The bag is then advanced longitudinally of the surface 1() by helix 28, the thread 32 of which extends well across, and presses on, the trailing faces of the folded bags. The bags are moved forward in a column onto the hub of the helix member 42 and are engaged and pressed forward adjacent the bottom by the helical thread 44. Beyond helix 28 the bags are rst contacted on their rear surfaces by the helical threads 46 of helix members 38 and 4t), after which the Contact is transferred from helical threads 40` to helical threads 48, and from the trailing faces of the bags to the leading portions of the reentry folds F of the bags. The insertion of threads 48 into the fo-lds F adjacent the top of the 'bags serves to open the mouths of the bags and to hold them open until they have passed beyond the inserting means.

Until the leading bag has been moved from the bottom of the hopper laterally across the surface of frame member 10, and been engaged between turns of helical thread 32, the next or second `bag is retained in position at the foot of the hopper by contact with the stationary friction means 86 which is disposed on the surface of member 10, at the lower end of the hopper and in position to be contacted by the rear surface of the second bag if it Starts to move laterally due to the frictional pull upon it of the leading bag as its leading surface is engaged by the rotating wheel means 80.

As shown herein the helix members 28, 38, 40 and 42 are -driven in Isynchronism from motor 66 which is supported on the horizontal frame member 14. The drive is from motor 66 through the reducer 68 and its sprocket sl to sprocket s2 -on reduced end portion of the hub of helix member 28; and from sprocket s3 on reducer 68 to sprocket s4 on the hub of the helix member 42; from sprocket s5 on shaft 69 to sprocket s6 on the hub of the helix member 38, and through gears g1 and g2 and sprocket S7, on the opposite side of the apparatus under frame member 12, to sprocket ss on the hub of the helix member 40. Pin 82, on which wheels S0 are mounted, extends below the frame member 10 and carries a worm wheel 84 which meshes with the worm 85 on shaft 69.

The surface of horizontalframe member 10 is slotted with the longitudinally extending slots 70 (FIG. 5), and a slide 72, comprising the vertical abutment member 74, spring 76, and pins 78 which project into slots 70. 'Spring 76 urges the slide in the direction lopposite to the direction of travel of the column of bags, to a position of rest just beyond the pointwhere the inserts 51 are inserted into the bags successively. Aty the beginning of an operation the-leading bag, upon moving beyond the bottom helix member 42, will move against the abutment member 74v of the slide which will move forward as a column of bags grows ybehind the leading bag. While spring 76 yields sufficiently to permit forward movement of the column of bags it resists such movement sufficiently to hold the bags in upright position in a compact column of collapsed bags.

After bags equal in number to the number desired for a bundle have been advanced beyond the point where the 'inserts 51 are inserted into the bags, known means for indicating this are employed. For example known means for kicking up say every 50th bag may be employed whereupon an attendant lifts up the rst 50 bags in the column and encircles them with string, tape, etc. to form a bundle of bags, all, or a desired number of which, contain inserts. When these Ibags are removed spring 76 will draw the slide 70 with the abutment member 74 back into position to receive the next bag to pass beyond the inserting means.

While many different objects or articles may be inserted while the mouth of a folded bag ,is temporarily opened as disclosed herein, it is particularly contemplated to insert into the bags, or into a pre-determined number of bags, paper or card inserts bearing advertising matter. The advertising matter thus is already inserted in the bags when they come to the store and remains in the bags and is there when the bags are illed with merchandise purchased by customers and is delivered into the customers hands when the bags are unloaded at home.

It will be understood that if desired two or more inserting means 54 may be employed in series to eject a plurality of cards or other inserts into each bag, or to insert a card advertising one product in bags 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. for example, and another card, advertising a different product in bags 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. for example. If customers of a supermarket, for example, are likely to use three bags for their purchases a Vseries of inserting means may be employed which will deliver a different advertising insert into each of the three bags. Thus the customer will receive advertisingr matter relating to three different products.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 6 bags are fed directly from a bag making machine 94, of known kind, and deposited in upright position onto horizontal frame member 10 and onto the hub of helix member 4Z, between successive turns of its helical thread 44, and fall or lean forwardly into engagement with the threads 46 of helix members 38 and 42. The bags at first incline forwardly past the low starting end of threads 46 and as the helix members are revolved around their axes the rear surface of the bags adjacent their lateral edges are contacted and urged forwardly by the threads which attain their full height within one turn from the starting points of the threads. The operation of this embodiment of the invention is thereafter the same as has been described in connection with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 5 and like parts are identified by the same numerals used describing FIG- URES 1-5.

In order to accommodate bags differing substantially in height the trigger switch finger of the inserting means may be made adjustable in length, or alternatively the frame supporting the helix members may be constructed so that the distance between frame members 10 and 12 can be varied to conform to the height of the bags being processed. This may be readily accomplished by making frame member 12 adjustable along, and relative to, the vertical frame members 22.

It will be understood that the helices will be rotated so that the helical threads will push the bags downwardly as well as forwardly, thus holding the bags down in column. If desired the bottom helix 40 may be positioned at a slight angle relative to the other helices in order that the bottoms of the ybags will be positioned exactly normal to the path of the column of bags and not positioned somewhat obliquely as might otherwise result from the lead of the helical threads.

There have thus been disclosed two embodiment of the invention in which the above stated objects are accomplished in a thoroughly practical way.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded fiat by means of reentry folds, which comprises, first helical means, means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, meansfor rotating it, means for feeding the folded bags to the first helical means with a lateral margin of a bag inserted between turns of the spiral thread of the first helical means, second helical means aligned with the first helical means, and means for supporting the second helical means for rotation around its longitudinal axis, said second helical means comprising two spiral threads, axially aligned and partly overlapping, with the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical means starting intermediate two successive turns of the spiral thread of the first helical means, the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical means being positioned to enter a reentry fold of the bag and to exert pressure on the leading part of the reentry fold 4to advance the bag.

2. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of reentry folds, which comprises,

first helical means, means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, means for rotating it, means for feeding the bags to the first helical means, with a lateral margin of the folded bag inserted between turns of the spiral thread of the first helical means, a second helical means axially aligned with the first helical means and means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, said second helical means comprising two spiral threads axially aligned and partly overlapping, with the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical means starting intermediate two successive turns of the spiral thread of the first portion of the second helical means, the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical means being positioned to enter reentry folds of the bags and to start exerting pressure on the leading half of the fold to advance the bag while the bag is being advanced by pressure of the spiral thread of the first portion of the second helical means exerted on the rear surface of the bag, third helical means disposed below the path of the advancing bags, means for supporting the third helical means for rotation, and means for rotating it in synchronism with the rst and second helical means to coact with said first and second means in supporting and advancing the bags in substantially upright position.

3. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of reentry folds, which comprises, a first helical member, means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, means for rotating it, means for feeding the bags to the first helical member, with a lateral margin of the folded bag inserted between turns -of the spiral thread of the first helical member, a second helical member axially aligned with the first helical member, and means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, said second helical member comprising two spiral threads axially aligned and partly overlapping, with the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical member starting intermediate two successive turns of the spiral thread of the first portion of the second helical member, the spiral thread of the second portion of the second helical member being positioned t0 enter a reentry fold of the bag and to start exerting pressure on the leading half of the fold to advance the bag while the bag is being advanced by pressure of the spiral thread of the first portion of the second helical member exerted on the rear surface of the bag, a fourth helical member disposed in the path of the advancing bags, to support and coact with the second and third helical members in advancing the bag, means for supporting the fourth helical member for rotation, and means for rotating it in synchronism with the first and second helical members to coact with said helical members in supporting and advancing the bags in substantially upright position, a third helical member similar to the second helical member,

means for supporting it for rotation spaced laterally from the second helical member, on the opposite side of the path of the bags from the second member and in position to coact with the second member in holding the bags upright while advancing them, and means for rotating the fourth helical member in synchronism with the second helical member.

4. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded fiat by means of reentry folds, which comprises, a first helical member, means for supporting it for rotation around its longitudinal axis, means for rotating it, means for feeding the folded bags to the first helical member, with a lateral margin of the folded bag inserted between turns of the spiral thread of the first helical member, a pair yof second helical members, one of which has its spiral thread peripherally aligned with the spiral thread of first helical member, spaced apart on opposite sides of the path of the bags to simultaneously engage opposite portions of a folded bag and means for supporting the members of the pair for rotation around their longitudinal axes, said pair of second helical members each comprising two spiral threads axially aligned and partly overlapping, with the spiral threa-ds of the second portion of eachfof said pair intermediate successive turns of the spiral thread of the rstfportion of the pair, the spiral thread of the second portion of each of said pair being positioned to enter a reentry fold of a bag and to exert pressure onv the leading half of the fold to advance it, and means for rotating the pair of second helical members in synchronism.

5. The method of opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of reentry folds which comprises, feeding the bags in ,upright position and holding them upright while advancing them by exerting pressure on the trailing surface of the folded bags, and transferring the holding and advancing pressure from the trailing surface of the folded bags to the forward part of a reentry fold portion of the bag.

6. The method of opening the mouths of bags which are folded at by means of reentry folds ywhich comprises, feeding the bags in upright position and holding them upright while advancing them by exerting pressure on the trailing surface of the folded bags, and transferring the holding and advancing pressure from the trailing surface of the folded bags to the forward part of a reentry fold portion of the bag, and while applying advancing pressure to the forward part of a reentry fold portion of the bag momentarily contacting and retarding the rear edge portion of the mouth of the bag and utilizing this contact to trigger means for ejecting an insert into the bag.

7. The method of opening the mouths of bags which are folded dat by means of a pair of opposed reentry folds which comprises, feeding the bags in upright position and holding them upright while advancing them in a column and at right angles to the reentry slots by exerting pressure on the forward part of the reentry fold portions of the bag.

8. The method of opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of a pair of opposed reentry folds which comprises, feeding the bags in upright position and holding them upright while advancing them by exerting pressure on the forward part of the reentry fold portions of the bag, and while applying advancing pressure to the forward part of the reentry fold portions of the bag momentarily contacting and retarding the rear edge portion of the mouth of the bag to effect the separation of the leading and trailing portions of the bag.

9. The method of opening the Imouths of bags which are folded flat by means of a pair of opposed reentry folds which comprises, feeding the bags lin upright position, directing a jet of gas into one or both reentry folds of a bag to. initiate unfolding of the bag,` and inserting into the partly open Ifold portion of the bag, means applying advancing pressure to the, forward part of the reentry fold portion of the bag.

10. The method of opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of reentry folds which comprises, feeding the bags in upright position and holding them upright whilev advancing them by exerting pressure on the trailing surface of the folded bag, transferring the holding and advancing pressu-re from the trailing surface of thel bag to the forward part of the reentry fold portion of the bag, and while, advancing the bag by pressure exertedy :against the forward partv of the reentry fold portion of the bagmomentarily contacting and retarding the trailing wall portionof the mouth of the bag, and, directing a jet of gas into the mouth of the bag to coact with the pressure on the forward part of the reentry fold portions of the bag and with the retarding of the trailing wall portion of the mouth of the bag, to further open the mouth of the bag.

11. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which have been foldedat by means of a pair of oppositely disposed, reentry folds, comprising, means for holding the folded bags in vertical position and advancing them individually by pressure initially exerted on the rear surface o ,each collapsed bag, and means for transferring the advancing pressure from the rear surface of the folded bag to the leading part of the reentry fold portion.

12. The apparatus claimed in claim 11 including, means for feeding folded bags in upright position, and means for periodically moving a bag into engagement with the means for advancing it, with the reentry folds disposed at right angles to the path of movement of the bags.

13. The apparatus claimed in claim 11 including, means for directing gas jets into the reentry folds.

14. The apparatus claimed in claim 11, in which the means for `holding a collapsed bag upright and advancing it by pressure exerted on its rear surface comprises a helix, and the means for advancing the bag by pressure exerted on the leading part of the reentry fold portion comprises, a plurality of helical threads disposed around a common axis and in overlapping relation.

15. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded at by means of reentry folds and have a cutout along the upper margin, which comprises, means for feeding the bags in folded, upright position with the reentry folds at their lateral edges, and with the cut-out in the upper margin of the leading portion of the bag, means adapted to enter into the reentry folds and to apply pressure against the leading parts of the reentry folds of the bags, and means positioned in the path of the bags, and in line with the cut-outs in the leading wall portions of the bags, adapted to pass through the cut-outs and toy be contacted by and tovretard-the portions of the bags which are behind the leading part of the reentry fold portions of the bags.

16. The apparatus claimed in claim 14, in which the helical threads are adapted to exert a wedging action within the folds tending to open the folds while at the same timeY advancing the bag.

17. Apparatus for opening the mouths of bags which are folded flat by means of a pair of opposed reentry folds, which comprises, means for feeding the bags in a column at right angles to the reentry folds and for exerting pressure on the leading part of the reentry folds to initiate opening of the mouths of the bags, gas jet means, and means for actuating the gas jet means to coact with the pressure exerting means in unfolding the -reentry folds of the bag.

18. Apparatus for delivering flat folded bags with removement past means for ejecting inserts into the open bag mouths, and means for holding up and yieldingly retarding the advance of the bags beyond the ejecting means to form a compact column to facilitate removing a number of the bags together in position to be conveniently secured together in a bundle.

19. The steps by which bags with advertising literature already inserted therein are provided for supermarkets and other retail outlets, which comprise, forming paper bags. collapsed by means of longitudinal reentry folds, advancing the folded bags in a column, with the two parallel faces of the bags normal to the path of the bags and withV the reentry folds at the lateral margins of the folded-bag successively past means for opening the mouths of bags and means for ejecting an insert into the bags, actuating the ejecting means in timed relation to the bag mouth opening means, and counting the bags in the column beyond the ejecting means while holding them upright and pressed together to facilitate bundling them into bundles of a predetermined number of folded bags containing inserts.

20. In combination with apparatus for delivering and advancing dat folded bags with reentry folds at their sides in a column, means for yieldingly retarding the front of the column, means disposed between the ba-g delivering and the` bag retarding means for opening the mouths of the bags momentarily and in succession, and means for 9 ejecting cards and the like into the bags while their mouths are open.

21. The steps by which bags with advertising literature already inserted in at least some of them are provided for supermarkets and other retail outlets, which comprise, advancing bags, collapsed by means of longitudinal reentry folds, in a column with the two parallel faces of the bags normal to the path of the bags and with the reentry folds at the lateral margins of the folded bags, opening the mouths of at least some of the bags in the column and introducing advertising inserts therein, and thereafter,

10 While holding the bags upright pressing them together to facilitate bundling them into bundles of folded bags with advertising inserts in at least some of the bags comprising each bundle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 TRAVIS s. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

21. THE STEPS BY WHICH BAGS WITH ADVERTISING LITERATURE ALREADY INSERTED IN AT LEAST SOME OF THEM ARE PROVIDED FOR SUPERMARKETS AND OTHER RETAIL OUTLETS, WHICH COMPRISE, ADVANCING BAGS, COLLAPSED BY MEANS OF LONGITUDINAL REENTRY FOLDS, IN A COLUMN WITH THE TWO PARALLEL FACES OF THE BAGS NORMAL TO THE PATH OF THE BAGS AND WITH THE REENTRY FOLDS AT THE LATERAL MARGINS OF THE FOLDED BAGS, OPENING THE MOUTHS OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE BAGS IN THE COLUMN AND INTRODUCING ADVERTISING INSERTS THEREIN, AND THEREAFTER, WHILE HOLDING THE BAGS UPRIGHT PRESSING THEM TOGETHER TO 